18 May AIGHD Representation at the G20 Global Health Summit
21 May 2021 marks the Global Health G20 Summit, an annual event where world leaders, heads of international and regional organizations, and representatives of global health bodies unite to discuss and share lessons learned throughout the year in global health. This year, the meeting will focus on the current pandemic with the ultimate objective of creating a ‘Rome Declaration’, a guide for long-term structural change brought about by international cooperation to fight future global health crises. To achieve this goal, the European Commission and the Italian G20 Presidency have assembled a High-Level Scientific Panel consisting of 26 experts in global health from around the world, including AIGHD Deputy Director of Science, Dr. Catherine Hankins and Joep Lange Chairholder, Dr. Mark Dybul.
The panel of scientific experts will inform leaders’ deliberations at the Global Health Summit later this week. They are tasked with providing evidence-based principles that will act as the basis of the ‘Rome Declaration’. Participants of the panel bring their broad and diverse experiences and expertise to several meetings where they advise the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on COVID-19 policy. The Rome Declaration can be a powerful guide for further multilateral collaboration and joint action to prevent future global health crises, and for a collective commitment to build a healthier, safer, and more equitable and sustainable world.
“The Global Health Summit is a special event of the Italian G20 Presidency held in cooperation with the European Commission. It will provide a timely opportunity to share the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will discuss how to improve health security, strengthen our health systems and enhance our ability to deal with future crises in a spirit of solidarity.”
Mario Draghi – Prime Minister of Italy
The Global Health G20 Summit is part of a larger G20 Summit that will occur in October 2021 in Rome, Italy. Established in 1999 in the aftermath of the 1997 economic crisis, the ‘Group of 20’, now G20 Summit, brings together the world’s major economies that account for more than 80% of the world GDP, 75% of global trade, and 60% of the world population to discuss topics related to global economics and finance. Among these subject matters are health, education, and development.
In addition to her academic positions, Dr. Catherine Hankins co-chairs multiple international health conferences and Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, while being a leader in various other scientific advisory committees.
In addition to his Joep Lange chair position, Dr. Mark Dybul is the Co-Director for the Centre for Global Health Practice and Impact at Georgetown University, a member of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response and is a professor in the Department of Medicine at Georgetown University.
AIGHD is immensely proud of Dr. Hankins, Dr. Dybul and the entire scientific panel for their contributions to COVID-19 research and policy.
To read the report of the Global Health Summit Scientific Expert Panel, click here.